"No, I don't think," Berkman told the newspaper. "No, no they can't."

Berkman, an outspoken proponent that baseball should change course and institute blood testing to give its testing program legitimacy, cautioned that the public hasn't exactly protested by turning away from feats such as the ones Rodriguez put up.

"The problem with this whole sordid mess (is) now everybody (is questioned)," he said.

"Even today all of a sudden my name gets brought up in an article about steroids, and I've never even been anywhere close to that. What happens is you get a few guys basically throwing a taint over the game and the rest of us are suffering for it.

"Nobody's going to be believed anymore. I can sit here and crow and say I've never done steroids or never done anything illegal from a standpoint of performance-enhancing drugs. But who's going to believe me? The point's well made because we're all guilty by association."

Right-hander Roy Oswalt admitted that he was so proud of Berkman's candor that he sent him a text message thanking him for speaking out for all the clean players.

"I feel the same way," Oswalt said a day after Rodriguez admitted taking banned substances.

"I feel that going out there natural against these guys that are taking the drugs is not fair to me. They're already All-Star players and they're taking drugs. That's not fair for me. They're cheating."

Oswalt's anger over the steroids era was quite evident in his voice.

"They may have beaten you in the game where naturally they may not have been able to," he said. "It may have cost me a win or my club not getting in the World Series. I don't think it's fair from my standpoint."

WHERE, WHEN: Osceola County Stadium, Kissimmee, Fla. First exhibition game is Feb. 25 against the Nationals.

TOP CANDIDATE TO SURPRISE: CF Michael Bourn struggled in his first season with the Astros after he was acquired from Philadelphia as the main piece received for closer Brad Lidge. Some fans soured on him, but he made great progress in the Dominican winter league playing for Aguilas, cutting down on his strikeouts while showing more patience and a willingness to bunt for hits.

TOP CANDIDATE TO DISAPPOINT: 2B Kaz Matsui showed flashes of brilliance while sparking the offense when healthy, but he was plagued late in the season with back problems and early in the season with anal fissures. The Astros need Matsui, and it's hard to believe he can just completely put the back problems behind him.

AUTHORITY FIGURES: Manager Cecil Cooper, who has a 101-91 record over his brief career, will enter his second full season. He readily admitted to the players that they helped him overcome a rough patch early last season. He admits he must figure out a way to disguise his feelings, but the former All-Star's good-natured personality fit in well and helped the club have the best record in the second half of last season.